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Every single person in his platoon knew someone who was killed. Yuval Green, 26, knew at least three. He was a reservist, a medic in the paratroops of the Israel Defence Forces, when he heard the first news of the 7 October Hamas attack. “Israel is a small country. Everyone knows each other,” he says. In several days of violence,1,200 people were killed, and 251 more abducted into Gaza. Ninety-seven hostages remain in Gaza, and around half of them are believed to be alive. Yuval immediately answered his country’s call to arms. It was a mission to defend Israelis. He recalls the horror of entering devastated Jewish communities near the Gaza border. “You're seeing... dead bodies on the streets, seeing cars punctured by bullets.” Back then, there was no doubt about reporting for duty. The country was under attack. The hostages had to be brought home. Then came the fighting in Gaza itself. Things seen that could not be unseen. Like the night he saw cats eating human remains in the roadway. “Start to imagine, like an apocalypse. You look to your right, you look to your left, all you see is destroyed buildings, buildings that are damaged by fire, by missiles, everything. That's Gaza right now.” One year on, the young man who reported for duty on 7 October is refusing to fight. Yuval is the co-organiser of a public letter signed by more than 165 - at the latest count - Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reservists, and a smaller number of permanent soldiers, refusing to serve, or threatening to refuse, unless the hostages are returned - something that would require a ceasefire deal with Hamas. In a country still traumatised by the worst violence in its history, those refusing for reasons of conscience are a minority in a military that includes around 465,000 reservists. There is another factor in play for some other IDF reservists: exhaustion. According to Israeli media reports, a growing number are failing to report for duty. The Times of Israel newspaper and several other outlets quoted military sources as saying that there was a drop of between 15% to 25% of troops showing up, mainly due to burnout with the long periods of service required of them. Even if there is not widespread public support for those refusing to serve because of reasons of conscience, there is evidence that some of the key demands of those who signed the refusal letter are shared by a growing number of Israelis. A recent opinion poll by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) indicated that among Jewish Israelis 45% wanted the war to end - with a ceasefire to bring the hostages home - against 43% who wanted the IDF to fight on to destroy Hamas. Significantly, the IDI poll also suggests that the sense of solidarity which marked the opening days of the war as the country reeled from the trauma of 7 October has been overtaken by the revival of political divisions: only 26% of Israelis believe there is now a sense of togetherness, while 44% say there is not. At least part of this has to do with a feeling often expressed, especially among those on the left of the political divide, that the war is being prolonged at the behest of far-right parties whose support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to remain in power. Even the former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, a member of Netanhayu’s Likud Party, dismissed by the prime minister last month, cited the failure to return the hostages as one of the key disagreements with his boss. “There is and will not be any atonement for abandoning the captives,” he said. “It will be a mark of Cain on the forehead of Israeli society and those leading this mistaken path.” Netanyahu, who along with Gallant is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, has repeatedly denied this and stressed his commitment to freeing the hostages. The seeds of Yuval’s refusal lie back in the days soon after the war began. Then the deputy speaker of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), Nissim Vaturi, called for the Gaza Strip to be “erased from the face of the Earth”. Prominent rabbi Eliyahu Mali, referring generally to Palestinians in Gaza, said: “If you don’t kill them, they’ll kill you.” The rabbi stressed soldiers should only do what the army orders, and that the state law did not allow for the killing of the civilian population. But the language - by no means restricted to the two examples above - worried Yuval. “People were speaking about killing the entire population of Gaza, as if it was some type of an academic idea that makes sense... And with this atmosphere, soldiers are entering Gaza just a month after their friends were butchered, hearing about soldiers dying every day. And soldiers do a lot of things.” There have been social media posts from soldiers in Gaza abusing prisoners, destroying property, and mocking Palestinians, including numerous examples of soldiers posing with people’s possessions - including womens’ dresses and underwear. “I was trying to fight that at the time as much as I could,” says Yuval. “There was a lot of dehumanising, a vengeful atmosphere.” His personal turning point came with an order he could not obey. “They told us to burn down a house, and I went to my commander and asked him: ‘Why are we doing that?’ And the answers he gave me were just not good enough. I wasn't willing to burn down a house without reasons that make sense, without knowing that this serves a certain military purpose, or any type of purpose. So I said no and left.” That was his last day in Gaza. In response, the IDF told me that its actions were “based on military necessity, and with accordance to international law” and said Hamas “unlawfully embed their military assets in civilian areas”. Three of the refusers have spoken to the BBC. Two agreed to give their names, while a third requested anonymity because he feared repercussions. All stress that they love their country, but the experience of the war, the failure to reach a hostage deal led to a defining moral choice. One soldier, who asked to remain anonymous, was at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport when news started coming in about the Hamas attacks. He recalls feeling shock at first. Then a ringing sensation in his ears. “I remember the drive home... The radio’s on and people [are] calling in, saying: ‘My dad was just kidnapped, help me. No-one's helping me.’ It was truly a living nightmare.” This was the moment the IDF was made for, he felt. It wasn’t like making house raids in the occupied West Bank or chasing stone-throwing youths. “Probably for the first time I felt like I enlisted in true self-defence.” But his view transformed as the war progressed. “I guess I no longer felt I could honestly say that this campaign was centered around securing the lives of Israelis.” He says this was based on what he saw and heard among comrades. “I try to have empathy and say, ‘This is what happens to people who are torn apart by war...’ but it was hard to overlook how wide this discourse was.” He recalls comrades boasting, even to their commanders, about beating “helpless Palestinians”. And he heard more chilling conversations. “People would pretty calmly talk about cases of abuse or even murder, as if it was a technicality, or with real serenity. That obviously shocked me.” The soldier also says he witnessed prisoners being blindfolded and not allowed to move “for basically their entire stay... and given amounts of food that were shocking”. When his first tour of duty ended he vowed not to return. The IDF referred me to a statement from last May which said any abuse of detainees was strictly prohibited. It also said three meals a day were provided, “of quantity and variety approved by a qualified nutritionist”. It said handcuffing of detainees was only carried out “where the security risk requires it” and “every day an examination is carried out... to make sure that the handcuffs are not too tight”. The UN has said reports of alleged torture and sexual violence by Israeli guards were “grossly illegal and revolting” and enabled by “absolute impunity”. Michael Ofer-Ziv, 29, knew two people from his village who were killed on 7 October, among them Shani Louk whose body was paraded through Gaza on the back of a pickup truck in what became one of the most widely shared images of the war. “That was hell,” he says. Michael was already a committed left-winger who advocated political not military solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But, like his comrades, he felt reporting for reserve duty was correct. “I knew that the military action was inevitable... and was justified in a way, but I was very worried about the shape it might take.” His job was to work as an operations officer in a brigade war room, watching and directing action relayed back from drone cameras in Gaza. At times the physical reality of the war hit home. “We went to get some paper from somewhere in the main command of the Gaza area,” he remembers. “And at some point we opened the window... and the stench was like a butchery... Like in the market, where it's not very clean.” Again it was a remark heard during a discussion among comrades that helped push him towards action. “I think the most horrible sentence that I heard was someone who said to me that the kids that we spared in the last war in Gaza [2014] became the terrorists of October 7, which I bet is true for some cases... but definitely not all of them.” Such extreme views existed among a minority of soldiers, he says, but the majority were “just indifferent towards the price... what's called ‘collateral damage’, or Palestinian lives”. He’s also dismayed by statements that Jewish settlements should be built in Gaza after the war - a stated aim of far-right government ministers, and even some members of Netanyahu’s Likud party. Figures suggest there is a growing body of officers and troops within the IDF who come from what is called a ‘National Religious’ background: these are supporters of far-right Jewish nationalist parties who advocate settlement and annexation of Palestinian lands, and are firmly opposed to Palestinian statehood. According to research from the Israeli Centre for Public Affairs, a non-governmental think tank, the number of such officers graduating from the military academy rose from 2.5% in 1990 to 40% in 2014. Ten years ago, one of Israel’s leading authorities on the issue, Professor Mordechai Kremnitzer, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, warned about what he called the ‘religification’ of the army. “Within this context, messages about Jewish superiority and demonisation of the enemy are fertile ground for fostering brutality and releasing soldiers from moral constraints.” The decisive moment for Michael Ofer-Ziv came when the IDF shot three Israeli hostages in Gaza in December 2023. The three men approached the army stripped to the waist, and one held a stick with a white cloth. The IDF said a soldier had felt threatened and opened fire, killing two hostages. A third was wounded but then shot again and killed, when a soldier ignored his commander’s ceasefire order. “I remember thinking to what level of moral corruption have we got... that this can happen. And I also remember thinking, there is just no way this is the first time [innocent people were shot]... It's just the first time that we are hearing about it, because they are hostages. If the victims were Palestinians, we just would never hear about it.” The IDF has said that refusal to serve by reservists is dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and Prime Minister Netanyahu insists it is “the most moral army in the world”. For most Israelis, the IDF is the guarantor of their security; it helped found Israel in 1948 and is an expression of the nation - every Israeli citizen over 18 who is Jewish (and also Druze and Circassian minorities) must serve. The refusers have attracted some hostility. Some prominent politicians, like Miri Regev, a cabinet member and former IDF spokeswoman, have called for action. “Refusers should be arrested and prosecuted," she has said. But the government has so far avoided tough action because, according to Yuval Green, “the military realised that it only draws attention to our actions, so they try to let us go quietly.” For those starting their national service and who refuse, sanctions are tougher. Eight conscientious objectors - not part of the reservists group - due to begin their military service at 18 years old have served time in military prison. The soldiers I spoke with described a mix of anger, disappointment, pain or ‘radio silence’ from their former comrades. “I strongly oppose them [the refusers],” says Major Sam Lipsky, 31, a reservist who fought in Gaza during the current war but is now based outside the Strip. He accuses the refusers group of being “highly political” and focused on opposing the current government. “I don't have to be a Netanyahu fan in order to not appreciate people using the military, an institution we're all meant to rally behind, as political leverage.” Maj Lipsky is a supporter of what he views as Israel’s mainstream right - not the far right represented by government figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister who has been convicted of inciting racism and supporting terrorism, and finance minister, Belazel Smotrich, who recently called for the population of Gaza to be halved by encouraging “voluntary migration”. Maj Lipsky acknowledges the civilian suffering in Gaza and does not deny the imagery of dead and maimed women and children. As we speak at his home in southern Israel, his two young children are sleeping in the next room. “There's no way to fight the war and to prosecute a military campaign without these images happening,” he says. He then uses an expression heard in the past from Israeli leaders: “You can't mow the lawn without grass flying up. It is not possible.” He says the blame belongs to Hamas who went to “randomly slaughter as many Jews as possible, women, children, soldiers”. The imperative of fighting the war has postponed a deepening struggle over the future character of the Jewish state. It is, in large part, a conflict between the secularist ideals held by people like Michael Ofer-Zif and Yuval Green, and the increasingly powerful religious right represented by the settlements movement, and their champions in Netanyahu’s cabinet, including figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Add to that the lingering, widespread anger over the government’s attempts to dilute the power of the country’s judiciary in 2023 - it led to mass demonstrations in the months before October 7 - and the stage is set for a turbulent politics long after the war ends. On both sides it is not unusual to hear people talk of a struggle for the soul of Israel. Maj Lipsky was packing to return to military duty on the evening I met him, sure of his duty and responsibility. No peace until Hamas was defeated. Among the refusers I spoke with, there was a determination to stand by their principles. Michael Ofer-Ziv may leave Israel, unsure whether he can be happy in the country. “It just looks less and less likely that I will be able to hold the values that I hold, wanting the future that I want for my kids to live here, and that is very scary,” he says. Yuval Green is training to become a doctor, and hopes that a settlement can be reached between peacemakers among the Israeli and Palestinian people. “I think in this conflict, there are only two sides, not the Israeli side and the Palestinian side. There is the side that supports violence and the side that supports, you know, finding better solutions.” There are many Israelis who would disagree with that analysis, but it won’t stop his mission. Top image credit: Getty BBC InDepth is the new home on the website and app for the best analysis and expertise from our top journalists. Under a distinctive new brand, we’ll bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, and deep reporting on the biggest issues to help you make sense of a complex world. And we’ll be showcasing thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. We’re starting small but thinking big, and we want to know what you think - you can send us your feedback by clicking on the button below.
AREQUIPA, Peru – The state-owned BioCubaFarma announced on its social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that this Friday the 100% Cuban company BioBridge Medical Technology was inaugurated in the high-tech development zone of Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. The event represents the practical implementation of agreements between the Cuban dictatorship and China in the field of biotechnology. Dr. Mayda Mauri Pérez, President of BioCubaFarma, emphasized on X that the inauguration of this 100% Cuban company is “a milestone in biotechnology” for the island, marking “a new business management model for cooperation, which will integrate innovative projects that could address global health challenges.” An official report from Cubadebate indicates that during the first Business Forum of BioBridge Medical Technology, BioCubaFarma’s research and development projects were presented to Chinese businesspeople and opinion leaders in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. Experts, researchers, and organizational leaders showcased products for the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative, infectious, and autoimmune diseases. The President of BioCubaFarma highlighted the “broad opportunities” offered by BioBridge to strengthen biotechnological and business ties between China, Cuba, and Latin America. At the conclusion of the forum, Santiago Dueñas described it as “very successful,” particularly in accelerating innovative projects “that could contribute to the health of Cuba and other nations.” International momentum: domestic failure The Cuban regime’s flagship biotechnology company has made numerous headlines in 2024. While the Castro government boasts about national biotechnology achievements in Asia, the immediate results in the country remain imperceptible. Amidst a severe shortage of medications on the island, BioCubaFarma announced in May new production lines but warned that many essential medicines for the population will remain unavailable for an indefinite period. Rita María García, Director of Operations and Technology at the entity, stated to the official Canal Caribe that the production of Aminophylline, Labetalol, Fenoterol, and Morphine in 10 mg and 20 mg doses—injectable drugs used in hospitals for patients in intensive care—has been resumed. However, she noted that antibiotics are not being produced because there are no raw materials for them, and it is unclear when these might arrive in the country. Additionally, Cuban hospitals will continue to lack key chemotherapy drugs in high demand by cancer patients, such as Paclitaxel, Cisplatin, and Oxaliplatin. Similarly, shortages of drugs like Allopurinol, Amiodarone, Omeprazole capsules, and 5 mg Haloperidol will persist. BioCubaFarma explained that the production of the last two has been affected by equipment breakdowns. Sigue nuestro canal de WhatsApp . Recibe la información de CubaNet en tu celular a través de Telegram.
Francis, 87, declined an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Notre Dame reopening ceremony in Paris on December 7. He will however head to Corsica's capital Ajaccio for a conference on the Catholic faith in the Mediterranean one week later on December 15, the Vatican said. Some French bishops were "annoyed" by the pope's decision to stay away from the Notre Dame gala, according to one bishop speaking on condition of anonymity. But the head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort said: "The star of the Notre Dame reopening ceremony is Notre Dame itself." The pope had not wanted his presence to be a distraction from the essential point of the occasion, he added. "It's not a snub aimed at France," said another bishop. Francis's one-day trip to Corsica will be the first papal visit to the island, where 90 percent of its 350,000 population is Catholic, according to the local Church, and religious traditions remain deeply rooted. He will give two speeches, preside over a mass and meet Macron during his nine hours on the island, the Vatican said. "It is a historic event, we will give ourselves the extraordinary means to put on an exceptional welcome for the Holy Father," said Bishop of Ajaccio Francois-Xavier Bustillo said in a video posted on social media. Francis, who will celebrate his 88th birthday on December 17, has been to France twice since becoming head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013. He visited Strasbourg in 2014, where he addressed the European Parliament, and last year went to Marseille for a meeting of Mediterranean area bishops, where he met Macron. He has yet to make a state visit to France, one of Europe's main majority-Catholic countries. He is also yet to make state visits to Spain, the United Kingdom or Germany. The Argentine pontiff prefers visiting smaller or less established Catholic communities, from Malta to Mongolia. The Corsica visit was championed by the popular media-friendly Bustillo, who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023. "It will not be a state visit, but a pastoral visit. It will be a beautiful moment, a moment of hope and joy," he told AFP. In addition, the head of the Catholic Church is scheduled to be at the Vatican on December 7-8 for a service at which he will create 21 new cardinals. Rescheduling appointments over coming months would appear to be tricky, given the multitude of events due to take place in Rome in 2025, a Catholic jubilee year. Bustillo is one of the active cardinals Francis has appointed in the Mediterranean region, with the pope keen they "work together to meet the specific challenges of the area", a bishop told AFP on condition of anonymity. Those issues include migration, global warming and interreligious dialogue. Corsica will be the 47th overseas visit for Francis and his third this year, after a long tour of the Asia Pacific in early September and a trip to Belgium and Luxembourg the same month. cmk-bur/tw/jm
When drivers think of the Indiana Department of Transportation, it’s often associated with orange cones. After all, the agency is overseeing billions of dollars in road projects on the state’s highways. But it’s looking at future technologies, too. Among them is truck automation, which includes something called platooning. A driver in a lead truck also steers the semi behind it. Roland Fegan, INDOT’s deputy commissioner of construction, spoke recently about the downstate research as part of the Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable. The research is being conducted along Interstate 70, in conjunction with Ohio, to create a truck automation corridor. Fegan rode along to experience it himself. “The follower vehicle, what it feels like in that, is like you’re being towed,” he said. “Your senses are kind of funny in this.” There’s a shortage of truck drivers nationally. “The technology on this is rather incredible, but it is the modern era,” he said during the roundtable, held on Nov. 1 at Ivy Tech’s Valparaiso campus. The American Trucking Association addressed the issue of autonomous commercial vehicles in a September 2023 blog post. “Contrary to alarmist notions that drivers will be displaced by AVs, this driver-assist technology holds enormous potential to improve drivers’ productivity, safety, quality of life and job satisfaction,” the organization’s post said. “The significance of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is underscored by how in-demand these professionals are: The industry already faces a significant driver shortage, reaching a record-high 78,000 in 2022. We must hire 1.2 million new drivers over the next decade to fill retirements and keep pace with the nation’s growing demand for freight transportation,” it continued. Fegan sees it from a public safety standpoint. “There’s a lot of safety components on this. Driver fatigue, it takes this out of it. It is the wave of the future,” he said. Looking further into the future, Fegan predicts the autonomous vehicle program will involve controlling more than just the vehicle immediately following. “I think the longer-term goal is to platoon beyond two,” he said. INDOT research also looks at electric vehicles. The agency plans to invest nearly $100 million in federal funds to build an EV charging network along Indiana’s alternative fuel corridors. Eventually, the charging stations would be no more than 50 miles apart along the interstates. Even more intriguing, though, is a pilot project to develop and test an electrified roadway. In partnership with ASPIRE Engineering Research Center, Purdue University, the Joint Transportation Research Program and Cummins, the roadway would directly charge vehicles while in motion. Construction of a quarter-mile test segment on U.S. 52 at U.S. 231 in West Lafayette was to have been completed in September. Testing is set to bring next spring with a specialized Cummins vehicle. The idea is to have transmitting coils and components embedded in the roadway and receiving components and coils underneath the vehicle. Besides constructing the electrified roadway, there’s a significant hurdle in vehicle design to overcome for an electric truck to use it. The battery alone is 20,000 pounds, Fegan said. Figuring that weight is one of the biggest destroyers of roadways, battery technology would have to improve dramatically to make this technology feasible as well as possible. Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Luke Kromenhoek threw for 209 yards and tossed three touchdown passes as Florida State halted a six-game losing streak and routed Charleston Southern 41-7 on Saturday. Kromenhoek completed 13 of 20 passes in his first college start, including a 71-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas, as the Seminoles (2-9) won for the first time since Sept. 21. The true freshman also connected with Amaree Williams for a 4-yard TD and Hykeem Williams for a 10-yard TD. Florida State had the nation’s lowest scoring offense at 13.3 points. The Seminoles hadn’t scored more than 21 points or surpassed the 300-yard mark in 2024. But Florida State overwhelmed FCS Charleston Southern (1-11), accumulating 415 offensive yards. Kaleb Jackson completed 22 of 32 passes for 218 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Landon Sauers, and an interception for the Buccaneers. The takeaway Charleston Southern: While the Buccaneers found some success through the air, they couldn’t sustain drives and managed just 57 rushing yards on 29 carries. Florida State: The Seminoles picked up a season-best 176 rushing yards, scoring 17 points in the second quarter and 14 points in the third quarter to take control. Up next Charleston Southern’s season is over. Florida State plays host to Florida on Nov. 30. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25NASHUA, N.H., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iCAD, Inc . (NASDAQ: ICAD) (“iCAD” or the “Company”), a global leader in clinically proven AI-powered cancer detection solutions, will showcase its groundbreaking breast health AI technologies at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2024 Annual Meeting in Chicago, December 1-5. Key highlights include the recent FDA-cleared ProFound Detection Version 4, clinical research presentations, and a new partnership with Cascaid Health to expand access to AI-driven breast health solutions. iCAD and Cascaid Health Partner to Expand Access to AI-Driven Breast Health In alignment with their vision to enable all women to access to AI-powered breast health services, iCAD and Cascaid Health will unveil their collaboration to integrate the ProFound AI Breast Health Suite into Cascaid’s leading edge digital health marketplace and access to care platform. Scheduled for beta launch in Q1 2025, this partnership between iCAD and Cascaid Health will launch ProFound Health, a virtual care model powered by Cascaid. ProFound will enable women who have not otherwise received an AI-read on their screening mammogram to access iCAD’s advanced breast health technology. The initiative reflects both companies’ dedication to democratizing access to life-saving technology and creating a world where cancer can’t hide. ProFound Health will offer a “Second Read” virtual AI service, providing patients without access to AI an opportunity to receive enhanced breast health insights. The initial service will include second-read detection, breast density assessment, and cancer risk evaluation from a Cascaid-affiliated specialist network of clinical experts in women’s health through Cascaid’s seamlessly integrated digital platform. By combining AI insights with expert clinical reviews, ProFound Health ensures that patients everywhere, regardless of location, can receive precision screening and personalized care. “ProFound Health empowers patients with access to critical information about their mammograms and overall breast health, allowing them to make informed decisions and take control of their care journey,” said Dana Brown, CEO and President of iCAD. “Our collaboration with Cascaid Health’s network of clinicians and AI-powered solutions is part of our ongoing commitment to bridging gaps in breast cancer care, ensuring all patients everywhere can access the accuracy and timeliness of AI solutions, and ultimately transforming patient outcomes.” “We believe that every woman should have access to the best possible information about her breast health and a high quality, personalized care plan to catch cancer early or prevent it altogether. Through our partnership with iCAD, we’re addressing a critical need to improve access to advanced breast health services,” said Dr. Candace Westgate, Director of Women’s Health for Cascaid Health. “ProFound Health is more than just a technological innovation, it’s a lifeline that empowers patients and healthcare providers with actionable insights, bridging care gaps and ensuring equitable access to precision screening and personalized breast cancer care.” Advancing Next Generation AI Breast Health Solutions at RSNA 2024 In addition to ProFound Health, iCAD will feature its flagship ProFound Detection Version 4.0, which recently received FDA clearance. This next-generation AI solution enhances breast cancer detection by incorporating prior exams into current analysis, improving the detection of aggressive cancers by 22%, reducing cases with no marks by 18%, and providing clinicians with more reliable insights for better decision-making. “Every two minutes, someone loses their life to breast cancer—a disease affecting over 2.3 million women annually. Early detection is critical, as five-year survival rates exceed 99% for stage 1 disease. Yet traditional mammography misses over 20% of breast cancers, particularly in dense tissue, resulting in potentially avoidable late-stage diagnoses,” said Dana Brown, President and CEO of iCAD, Inc. “ProFound Detection Version 4 revolutionizes breast cancer detection by uniquely integrating prior exams into its analysis. This advanced capability enhances sensitivity, sharpens precision, and provides radiologists with a deeper, longitudinal view of a patient’s breast health. By enabling earlier and more accurate detection, especially in dense tissue, ProFound Detection Version 4 sets a new standard in breast health AI, empowering providers to improve outcomes and save lives. Together with our strategic partnerships, we are advancing the fight against cancer and making a meaningful difference for patients worldwide.” ICAD’S RSNA 2024 Program Highlights AI-Powered Insights: Advancing Cancer Detection Oral Abstract Presentation : “Real World Effect of Artificial Intelligence on Histopathology and Stage in Breast Cancer Screening” Presenter : Kathy Schilling, M.D., Boca Raton Regional Hospital When : Sunday, December 1 | 10:30–11:30 AM Where : S406A: S2-SSBR01-6 Details : Dr. Kathy Schilling discusses the experience with tenured radiologists on how the current use of ProFound AI improves cancer detection, even in women with dense breast tissue, compared to their performance prior to the implementation of AI. In addition, she will describe the decrease in the mean size and stage of cancers after the implementation, along with an increase in the diagnosis of lobular cancers. “The integration of ProFound AI alongside our nine dedicated breast radiologists has demonstrated remarkable improvements in cancer detection and patient outcomes across our imaging network,” said Dr. Kathy Schilling, Medical Director of the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. “We’ve seen a 23% overall increase in cancer detection rates, a 4% rise in invasive cancer detection, and doubled rates of lobular cancer detection. ProFound AI also enhanced detection in dense breast tissue by 32%, reduced invasive cancer size by 12%, and lowered histopathologic stage with a 40% reduction in T2 tumors—all without increasing DCIS diagnoses or recall rates. These advancements underscore the transformative potential of AI in improving early breast cancer detection, elevating patient care, and ultimately saving lives.” AI Theater Presentation : “The Thin White Line: Which Calcifications Matter? Advances in AI Breast Cancer Detection” Presenter : Chirag R. Parghi, M.D., M.B.A., Solis Mammography When : Tuesday, December 3 | 1:00–1:20 PM Where : AI Showcase Theater (South Hall A), Booth 5536 Details : A look at how ProFound Detection’s next-generation capabilities reduce uncertainty in interpreting calcifications on a mammogram by displaying 20% fewer marks related to vascular calcifications and 51% fewer marks related to non-vascular calcifications, leading to enhanced precision and accuracy. Collaborative Panels and Partner Showcases GE HealthCare Expert Corner : Seamless integration of ProFound AI with GE mammography systems to enhance workflow and detection capabilities. Daily at Booth 7330 (North Hall). Densitas Panel : “Elevating Patient Care through Quality Images & Precise Detection.” Daily at Booth 4747 (South Hall). CancerIQ : Daily at Booth 4747(South Hall). Blackford Panel : “Enhancing Breast Cancer Care with AI.” Tuesday, December 3, 2:30-2:50 PM at Booth 4729 (South Hall). CARPL.ai Breast AI Panel : Wednesday, December 4, 11:00 AM at Booth 5733 (South Hall). Customer Appreciation Event iCAD will be hosting a customer appreciation event, "AI in the Sky: Discover ProFound Insights & Breast Health Innovations," on Sunday, December 1, at 6:00 PM at VU Rooftop in Chicago. Network with industry experts, hear insights from key opinion leaders including iCAD’s CEO and Board of Directors, and explore how iCAD’s solutions are transforming breast health. Visit the iCAD RSNA 2024 event page for the latest updates, event details, and partnership announcements. About Cascaid Health Cascaid Health Inc. delivers a personalized, expert-driven proactive and preventative approach, supported by an integrated platform designed to promote longevity, detect issues early, reverse risks, and optimize healthspan for all. The company’s platform offers a curated marketplace featuring innovative products, services, and access to world-class multidisciplinary experts in women’s health, precision health, lifestyle medicine, wellness, and performance. Cascaid Health Inc. is committed to advancing health equity, ensuring that cutting-edge healthcare solutions are accessible to everyone. About iCAD, Inc. iCAD, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICAD) is a global leader on a mission to create a world where cancer can’t hide by providing clinically proven AI-powered solutions that enable medical providers to accurately and reliably detect cancer earlier and improve patient outcomes. Headquartered in Nashua, N.H., iCAD’s industry-leading ProFound Breast Health Suite provides AI-powered mammography analysis for breast cancer detection, density assessment and risk evaluation. Used by thousands of providers serving millions of patients, ProFound is available in over 50 countries. In the last five years alone, iCAD estimates reading more than 40 million mammograms worldwide, with nearly 30% being tomosynthesis. For more information, including the latest in regulatory clearances, please visit www.icadmed.com . Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this News Release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about the expansion of access to the Company’s products, improvement of performance, acceleration of adoption, expected benefits of ProFound AI®, the benefits of the Company’s products, and future prospects for the Company’s technology platforms and products. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited, to the Company’s ability to achieve business and strategic objectives, the willingness of patients to undergo mammography screening, whether mammography screening will be treated as an essential procedure, whether ProFound AI will improve reading efficiency, improve specificity and sensitivity, reduce false positives and otherwise prove to be more beneficial for patients and clinicians, the impact of supply and manufacturing constraints or difficulties on our ability to fulfill our orders, uncertainty of future sales levels, to defend itself in litigation matters, protection of patents and other proprietary rights, product market acceptance, possible technological obsolescence of products, increased competition, government regulation, changes in Medicare or other reimbursement policies, risks relating to our existing and future debt obligations, competitive factors, the effects of a decline in the economy or markets served by the Company; and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The words “believe,” “demonstrate,” “intend,” “expect,” “estimate,” “will,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “likely,” “seek,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on those forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. The Company is under no obligation to provide any updates to any information contained in this release. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iCAD, please see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available on the Investors section of our website at https://www.icadmed.com and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov . CONTACTS Media Inquiries: pr@icadmed.com Investor Inquiries: John Nesbett/Rosalyn Christian IMS Investor Relations icad@imsinvestorrelations.comHyderabad-based businessman Soodini Srujan has filed a criminal complaint against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao and accused him of making defamatory statements aimed at tarnishing his reputation. The case has been registered in the Court of the Special Judicial First-Class Magistrate for Excise Cases at Hyderabad under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. The complaint stems from allegations made by KTR that Mr. Srujan leveraged political connections to secure public contracts worth over ₹1,100 crore. The accusations were widely circulated through press conferences, media outlets, and social media platforms, including a press event held by KTR in Delhi on November 11, 2024. Mr. Srujan categorically denied the allegations. He argued that the accusations were baseless and malicious, intended to defame him for political mileage. His complaint highlights that the contracts in question were awarded to a joint venture (JV) comprising Shodha Constructions, AMR India Pvt. Ltd., and IHP Ltd., following a transparent online bidding process under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme. According to Mr. Srujan, Shodha Constructions holds only a 29% stake in the JV, and his personal association with the company is limited. He emphasised that the allegations were made despite all tendering details being publicly accessible, asserting that KTR deliberately distorted facts to harm his reputation. The complaint also outlines the damage caused to Mr. Srujan’s personal and professional standing, claiming that the statements led to strained relationships and negatively impacted his business prospects. A legal notice sent to KTR on September 26, 2024, demanding a public apology and retraction of the statements, reportedly went unanswered. KTR, who has served as Telangana’s Minister for IT, Municipal Administration, and Urban Development, is accused of making these statements in bad faith despite being aware of the facts surrounding the tender process. The complaint alleges that KTR’s actions amount to an intentional act of defamation under Section 356 of the BNS. Published - November 23, 2024 08:54 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
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LAS VEGAS — There are three races remaining in the Formula 1 season and Max Verstappen of Red Bull is close to a fourth consecutive world championship, which can wrap up Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. All is not smooth sailing headed into this final month of racing: "It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everybody," said Mercedes driver George Russell, a GPDA director. "It's a hell of a lot of pressure now onto the new race director (with) just three races left. Often, as drivers, we probably feel like we're the last to find out this sort of information." The Andretti team is expected to receive F1 approval to join the grid, albeit without Michael Andretti, who has scaled back his role dramatically since the IndyCar season ended in September. Many drivers, particularly seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, have been at odds with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem since his election following the 2021 season finale. In the GDPA statement, they reminded the sanctioning body "our members are adults" who don't need lectures and fines on foul language or jewelry bans, and simply want fair and consistent race control. There's been no response from Ben Sulayem, and won't be this weekend since he does not attend the LVGP. He will be at Qatar and the finale in Abu Dhabi next month. Hamilton doesn't think all the behind-the-scenes changes will be a fan topic as the season comes to a close. But he noted that consistency from race control is all the drivers have asked for, while throwing his support behind Domenicali and the job Maffei has done in growing F1 since Liberty took over. "I really hope Stefano is not leaving because he's been so instrumental in changes and progress to this whole thing," Hamilton said. "And he knows the sport as well as anyone. But all good things do come to an end, and whoever they put into place, I just hope they are like-minded. But sometimes you have to shake the trees." That's just what happened with the surprise departure of race director Wittich. Although drivers have been unhappy with race officiating this season and held a private GPDA meeting in Mexico City, Russell said they had no prior warning Wittich was out. The race director is the referee each weekend and Wittich has been in charge since 2022, when Michael Masi was fired following the controversial 2021 season-ending, championship-altering finale at Abu Dhabi. Now the man in charge for the final three races is Rui Marques, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 race director. Las Vegas, which overcame multiple stumbling blocks in last year's debut before putting on one of the best races of the season, is a difficult place to start. Verstappen can win his fourth title by simply scoring three points more than Lando Norris of McLaren. "It's a bit weird with three races to go to do that," Verstappen said. "It doesn't matter if you're positive or negative about certain things. I thought in Brazil there was definitely room for improvement, for example. It's still a bit weird having to now then deal with a different race director." Charles Leclerc of Ferrari wondered why the move was made with only three races to go. "To do it so late in the season, at such a crucial moment of the season, it could have probably been managed in a better way," he said. The drivers have consistently asked for clearer guidelines in the officiating of races, specifically regarding track limits and racing rules. The drivers have no idea how Marques will officiate, highlighting a disconnect between the competitors and Ben Sulaymen's FIA. "We just want to be transparent with the FIA and have this dialogue that is happening," Russell said. "And I think the departure of Niels is also a prime example of not being a part of these conversations." The GDPA statement made clear the drivers do not think their voice is being heard. "If we feel we're being listened to, and some of the changes that we are requesting are implemented, because ultimately we're only doing it for the benefit of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase," Russell said. "But I think there's a number of drivers who feel a bit fed up with the whole situation. It only seems to be going in the wrong direction." He also said the relationship between the drivers and the FIA seems fractured. "Sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution," he said. "You need to work together to improve the problem." Norris, who has battled Verstappen this year with mixed officiating rulings, said "obviously things are not running as smoothly as what we would want." Marques has his first driver meeting ahead of Thursday night's two practice sessions and then three weeks to prove to the competitors he is up for the job. Carlos Sainz Jr., who will leave Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season, hopes the drama doesn't distract from the momentum F1 has built over the last five years. "I think Formula 1 is in a great moment right now and all these rumors, I think in every team, every job, there's job changes," he said. "It's not big drama. I'm a big fan of the people you mentioned, they've done an incredible job in Formula 1 and Formula 1 is what it is thanks to these people. But it's just so emotional, especially the Stefano one. The only one that has a real effect is the race director. But I think if he does a good job, it should be transparent and nothing big." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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